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yann64andClaude Opus 5.5 b274874139 All machines linked to their forum thread (full comment import) 
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Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
2026-10-13 17:26:43 +02:00

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---
title: Sony Hit-Bit 101
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1984'
cpus:
- Zilog Z80A
params:
name: Hit-Bit 101
image: /media/museum/photos/sony_hb101p_1.jpg
company: /companies/sony
company_name: Sony
specs:
- label: NAME
value: Hit-Bit 101
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Sony
- label: TYPE
value: Home Computer
- label: ORIGIN
value: Japan
- label: YEAR
value: '1984'
- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
value: MSX Basic V1.0
- label: KEYBOARD
value: Full-stroke keyboard, including 5 function keys and 4 cursor keys
- label: CPU
value: Zilog Z80A
- label: SPEED
value: 3.58 MHz
- label: CO-PROCESSOR
value: 'Video chip must be compatible with the Texas Instruments TMS 9918/A or TMS 9928/A (Japan : 60 Hz) or TMS 9929/A (Europe : 50 Hz)'
- label: RAM
value: 32 KB
- label: VRAM
value: 16 KB
- label: ROM
value: 32 KB (MSX BASIC V1.0 + BIOS)
- label: TEXT MODES
value: |-
Mode 0 : 40 x 24\
Mode 1 : 32 x 24
- label: GRAPHIC MODES
value: |-
Mode 2 : 256 x 192 with 16 colors (Hires mode)\
Mode 3 : 64 x 48 with 16 colors (Multi colour mode)\
32 sprites
- label: COLORS
value: '16'
- label: SOUND
value: |-
General Instruments AY-3-8910 Programmable Sound Generator\
3 channels, 8 octaves
- label: I/O PORTS
value: 2 joystick sockets, 2 cardridge slots, Tape-recorder plug (1200/2400 bauds), RGB video output, Centronics interface
- label: OS
value: MSX DOS
- label: PRICE
value: 46,800 yen (Japan, 1984)
tabs:
- photos
- adverts
- hardware
- software
- emulators
- links
forum_thread: 764
photos:
- title: HB-101
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/sony_hb101_1.jpg
- title: HB-101P
subtitle: ''
text: '"P" for PAL models'
image: /media/museum/photos/sony_hb101p_2.jpg
- title: HB-101P
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/sony_hb101p_3b.jpg
- title: RED HB-101
subtitle: ''
text: The red model was only sold in Japan
image: /media/museum/photos/sony_hb101-red_1.jpg
- title: WHITE HB-101
subtitle: ''
text: The white model was apparently also sold only in Japan
image: /media/museum/photos/sony_hb101-white_1.jpg
- title: BUILT-IN JOYSTICK
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/sony_hb101_closeup_1.jpg
- title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/sony_hb101_closeup_2.jpg
- title: HANDLE
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/sony_hb101_handle.jpg
- title: REAR
subtitle: ''
text: This is a rear view of the japanese model
image: /media/museum/photos/sony_hb101_rear_1.jpg
- title: BOX
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/sony_hb101_box.jpg
adverts:
- title: SPANISH ADVERT
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/pubs/sony_hb101p_spanish-pub_1.jpg
hardware:
- title: NATIONAL CF-2131
subtitle: 16 KB RAM expansion
text: ''
image: /media/museum/hardware/national_cf2131_16k-cart.jpg
- title: CASIO OR-216 - 16 KB RAM EXPANSION
subtitle: Box
text: ''
image: /media/museum/hardware/casio_or216_16kbramexpansion_box.jpg
- title: PHILIPS RAM EXPANSION
subtitle: ''
text: |-
RAM expansion and LOGO language cartridges.
Thanks to Daniele from Italy
image: /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg8020_cartridges_s1.jpg
- title: MEGA RAM DISK 256
subtitle: from DDX (Brazil)
text: This is the famous Megaram cartridge made in Brzail, used to play all Konami cracked Megarom games.6401999243
image: /media/museum/hardware/msx_megaram256-ddx_1.jpg
- title: PANASONIC FS-IFA1 & FW-RSU1W
subtitle: Scanner/Printer interface
text: The FS-IFA1 is the printer/scanner interface (left on the picture) and the FW-RSU1W is the handheld scanner (right on the picture). These expansions are for MSX2 systems.
image: /media/museum/hardware/msx_fs-ifa1_fw-rsu1w.jpg
- title: SONY HBI-232
subtitle: RS232c cartridge
text: Used to connect serial printers.
image: /media/museum/hardware/sony_msx_rs232c-cartridge.jpg
- title: 'YAMAHA MOUSE #1'
subtitle: ''
text: |-
This mouse was compatible with all MSX systems. It connects to the first Joystick port.
Thanks to **www.zonadepruebas.com**
image: /media/museum/hardware/yamaha_mouse_s2.jpg
- title: 'YAMAHA MOUSE #2'
subtitle: ''
text: |-
Brand new!
Thanks to **www.zonadepruebas.com**
image: /media/museum/hardware/yamaha_mouse_s1.jpg
- title: PHILIPS VW0020
subtitle: 80-col dot-matrix printer
text: |-
This printer was a rebadged version of the Seikosha GP-500.\
It was a 80-column, 50 CPS model with a 7x5 dot matrix head.\
Commodore and Atari used same hardware basis for their MPS-801 and 1029 printers.
image: /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg8020_printervw0020_s1.jpg
- title: SANYO PHC-DR II
subtitle: Side
text: ''
image: /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc-drii_side_1.jpg
- title: SANYO PHC-DR II
subtitle: Front
text: ''
image: /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc-drii_front_1.jpg
- title: SANYO DR-202
subtitle: ''
text: The ADSS system allowed to quickly search a specific program in a cassette tape and load it. Seach time for a C60 cassette was less than 1 minute.
image: /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc28_dr202tapedrive_s1.jpg
- title: NATIONAL RQ-8030
subtitle: tape-recorder
text: ''
image: /media/museum/hardware/national_tape_rq8030.jpg
- title: BIT-CORDER
subtitle: ''
text: Cassete recorder dedicated to Hit-Bit MSX systems, though it could be used with any home computers.
image: /media/museum/hardware/sony_hb201_bitcorder_1.jpg
screenshots:
- title: BOOT MENU
subtitle: screenshot
text: ''
image: /media/museum/software/sony_hb101-white_menu_ss.jpg
emulators:
- title: fMSX for MS DOS Homepage
url: http://www.komkon.org/~dekogel/fmsx.html
platform: MS DOS
text: ''
- title: BlueMSX
url: http://www.bluemsx.com/
platform: Windows
text: Excellent free MSX emulator
- title: BrMSX
url: http://www.lsi.usp.br/~ricardo/brmsx.htm
platform: Windows
text: A Bresilian MSX Emulator written in 100% assembler
- title: CompuJunk's MSX Emulator
url: http://ftp.castel.nl/msx/
platform: Windows
text: A MSX1 and MSX2 Emulator
- title: RuMSX
url: http://members.eunet.at/lexlechz/msx.html
platform: Windows
text: A MSX Emulator for Win95 and Win NT + Direct X
- title: fMSX for MAC OS Homepage
url: http://www.emulation.net/msx/index.html
platform: Apple
text: ''
- title: fMSX official Homepage
url: http://www.komkon.org/fms/fMSX
platform: Multiplatform
text: 'fMSX is a portable MSX emulator ported on : Amiga OS, Mac OS, MS DOS, OS/2, Sony Playstation, Risc OS, Towns OS, Unix / X, Win95 / NT, X68K.'
- title: openMSX - The MSX emulator that aims for perfection.
url: http://openmsx.sourceforge.net/
platform: Multiplatform
text: This new MSX emulator can reproduce, among many other MSX, MSX2and MSX2+ machines, both Panasonic Turbo-R models. Be sure to get the catapult frontend and the system roms from FUNET.
links:
- title: Baboo!
url: http://www.baboo.net/baboo.shtml
text: MSX dedicated Yahoo clone. Essential !
- title: FILE-HUNTER.COM
url: http://www.file-hunter.com/
text: Excellent! All MSX emulators, sources and utilities!
- title: FTP da MSXBr-L/MSX.Org.Br
url: http://www.caetano.eng.br/msxsoft/
text: Excellent brasilian software archive
- title: MOAI TECH
url: http://www.moai-tech.com/
text: Spanish/English website with interesting content
- title: MSX Hardware List
url: http://www.faq.msxnet.org/hardware.html
text: An impressive list of MSX hardware. The Bible !!!
- title: MSX Ressource Center
url: http://www.msx.org/
text: Essential site !
- title: Possi's Konami MSX Page
url: http://dynamo.geol.msu.ru/MSX/
text: Nice page dedicated to all Konami MSX games (roms, scans, mids, etc.)
- title: The MSX Games Box
url: http://www.msxgamesbox.com
text: All about MSX gaming (games, covers.etc.). More Fun, Less Mhz!
- title: The MSX Museum BOX
url: http://www.msxmuseumbox.com
text: More than 190 different MSX models in pictures.
- title: The ultimate MSX Faq
url: http://www.faq.msxnet.org
text: Here, you can find near all hardware pieces related to MSX.
- title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
text: The MSX home computer system
related:
- /museum/canon-v-10
- /museum/canon-v-20
- /museum/canon-v-8
- /museum/casio-mx-10-mx-101
- /museum/casio-pv-16
- /museum/casio-pv-7
- /museum/epcom-sharp-hotbit-hb-8000
- /museum/fujitsu-fm-x
- /museum/general-paxon-pct-50
- /museum/goldstar-fc-80-fc-200
- /museum/gradiente-expert-plus
- /museum/gradiente-expert-xp-800
- /museum/hitachi-ah-200
- /museum/hitachi-h1-h1e
- /museum/hitachi-h2
- /museum/mitsubishi-ml-f110-ml-f120
- /museum/mitsubishi-ml-f48-ml-f80
- /museum/mitsubishi-ml-fx1-fx2
- /museum/mitsubishi-ml-g10
- /museum/msx-1
- /museum/national-cf-2000
- /museum/national-cf-2700
- /museum/national-cf-3000
- /museum/national-fs-4000
- /museum/national-fs-4500
- /museum/olympia-phc-2
- /museum/panasonic-cf-2700
- /museum/philips-nms-801
- /museum/philips-vg-8000-8010
- /museum/philips-vg-8020
- /museum/philips-vg-8235
- /museum/pioneer-palcom-px-7
- /museum/sanyo-mpc-100
- /museum/sanyo-phc-28
- /museum/sanyo-phc-30
- /museum/sanyo-phc-33
- /museum/sanyo-wavy-10-mpc-10
- /museum/sanyo-wavy-23
- /museum/sanyo-wavy-3
- /museum/schneider-philips-mc-810
- /museum/sony-hit-bit-10
- /museum/sony-hit-bit-20
- /museum/sony-hit-bit-201
- /museum/sony-hit-bit-501
- /museum/sony-hit-bit-55
- /museum/sony-hit-bit-75
- /museum/spectravideo-svi-728
- /museum/toshiba-hx-10-pasopia-iq
- /museum/toshiba-hx-20-hx-21-pasopia-iq
- /museum/toshiba-hx-52
- /museum/victor-hc-6
- /museum/yamaha-cx5
- /museum/yamaha-cx5m-music-computer
- /museum/yamaha-sx-100
- /museum/yamaha-yis-303
- /museum/yamaha-yis-503-diabolik
- /museum/yashica-yc-64
- /museum/yeno-dpc-64
- /museum/yeno-mx-64
oc_id: 783
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608091828/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=783
date: '2023-06-08'
---
The HB-101 is a standard [MSX1](/museum/msx-1/) system. It was produced in red and black cases (the red version being sold in Japan only).
It has a handle that can be pulled on the front of the keyboard to carry it easily. It also has a "Pause" Key which can freeze any program. A little joystick could also be inserted onto the cursor keys.
There is the same built-in software (Personal Data Bank) found on the HB-501. It is composed of an agenda, a memo and an address manager. You can even save your work with a special RAM cartridge.
The **HB-101P** is the same system, "P" meaning PAL, but was the european model. In fact the HB-101 is very similar to the **Sony HB-201** (more RAM) and the [HB-501](/museum/sony-hit-bit-501/) (more RAM and a tape recorder built in).
---
Info & pictures : Olivier Hustin
<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>
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